Welcoming the Holy
Here we invite you to take time for yourself in personal prayer. The following spiritual reflection offers words and images which we hope will evoke for you an experience of God.
By: Sister Ruth Maier
“The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.”
Opening Prayer
God of abundance, You give us all good things in order that Your Kingdom may be firmly established. Hear these our prayers that one day we might share in Your everlasting Kingdom of heaven.
We ask this through Jesus, the Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Scripture
Luke 10: 1 – 9
The Lord appointed seventy-two others whom He sent ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place He intended to visit.
He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the Master of the harvest to send out laborers for His harvest."
“Go on your way. Behold I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no snack, no sandals; greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter first, say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there your peace will rest upon him; but if not, it will return to you.
“Stay in the same house, eating and drinking what is offered for the laborer deserves his pay. Do not move about from house to house. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’’’
Reflection
In this Gospel Story for today, Jesus sends forth seventy-two disciples to reap the abundant harvest of the presence of the Kingdom of God.
Three times Jesus says, “the harvest is abundant.” An abundant harvest is always good news. An abundant harvest indicates that life will be good, rewarding, full.
This harvest of which Jesus speaks is not the ordinary harvest of the fruits of the earth but rather the harvest of the fruits of God’s Kingdom. The nature of this harvest is peace, stability, forgiveness, healing and joy. Jesus is sending His disciples out to proclaim the saving deeds of God for the life of the world.
Two thousand years later this harvest is still abundant. Two thousand years later the challenge of the Gospel is still to proclaim the Good News of God’s saving deeds of peace, forgiveness, healing and joy for the life of all people.
We often get distracted by the events of the day. We easily lose site of the Kingdom of God at hand for us and that Jesus is calling us to go forth this day to proclaim that Kingdom to others, to bring God’s peace and saving deeds to those we meet.
Where have you experienced God’s Kingdom in your life?
How have you announced God’s Kingdom to others?
Closing Prayer
God of peace, Your son directed His disciples to wish peace on the homes they visited.
May we also grant peace to all those we meet and accept peace from those we welcome.
This we ask through Jesus, our Lord and brother. Amen